Sunday January 13th, 2013—Marathon Day
Let me tell you---that alarm clock is rude at 2:45…it’s only exciting when you are to leave for WDW, not when you are already there. ..And then again at 2:50! (I set another one to make sure we didn’t oversleep).
Well we sprang into action—today was the big day—we had planned for this day and trained for more than 5 months. I poked my head outside to see if I would need any “throw away clothes”—negative it was already warm and balmy---Nice…this was going to be a rough race.
We packed up our stuff—some bagels, our GU’s a water and a coffee and we walked over to the bus stop around 3:10. Our room was very close to the North Depot and we were there in no time. I plopped down and here came the bus! Wow that was quick. We boarded and away we went---it was such a difference from last year when I thought we would never get on the bus.
My wife and I run at different paces so we were in different corrals. We decided long ago that it was just better if we didn’t even start out together. (What happens is, we try to run at each other’s pace and it ends up messing us both up…) So I told my wife that I would hang out in her corral (F) until just before the race time and then I would go in mine (E). There is always so much time to kill beforehand—they make you get in the corral by 4:30 or so but the race doesn’t start until 5:30. Well wouldn’t you know it, we get to the overpass and the sign says A-E this way and F-H that way. Unbelievable!!
So we kissed, hugged and wished each other a great race---then we had someone take our picture:
Then we went our separate ways for the next 8 hours or so…
I lay down on the asphalt, bored…I milled around and eventually they started Corral A. I had about half an hour until my corral. It was humid!!!
Finally, at 6:02am I was off! I used my running app to make sure I wasn’t going too fast—I was! So I backed it down—it was a long race and I wasn’t worried about time. Truth be told, I had a goal of 5 hours, but it was really all about the medal and ‘checking the box’—the time was just sort of something in the back of my mind.
The miles clicked off---I took this one at my first stop (and last one for a long time):
5,6,7,8…we enter and exit the Speedway—the sun was coming up over the horizon—it was about to get tropical!
9,10,11,12 I was still feeling great at this point. We ran around some back areas by DAK. A sewage plant or something stinky. Then into DAK---people were stopping to take pictures so I looked at them and behind them was the Tree of Life! I didn’t even notice it… When I run, I am very focused on the task at hand—I don’t stop and smell the roses as it were. I should, but I don’t—I guess it’s how I pass the time. I don’t run with music or anything—just me and my thoughts.
13,14,15—halfway—my time was OK…a little slower than a 5 hour marathon…out of DAK and onto Osceola Parkway—still feeling OK, but the heat was getting bad—and the humidity. Wow. Once out onto Osceola and it straightens out, you can see a string of humanity for about 2 miles—nothing but people and highway. I stopped running and stretched my back out and analyzed where I had been and where I was going—I still had a long way to go. Self-doubt was creeping in—or was that just the heat??? Other than when I stretched, I was walking---just keep going, Henry---just keep going.
One of the best parts of a race is all the spectators and their funny signs. It really is a boost when someone yells your name...a complete stranger yells, “Looking good, Henry!! You got this.” Every time I heard it I smiled. The signs are awesome: “Just keep swimming!” or “Run, complete stranger, run!” “Worst parade ever” seems to be a favorite. Very creative people! And it’s wild when you see the same people in several places—that always makes me laugh.
After I expelled any doubts (it took about a mile) I turned into WWOS. This was an odd part of the marathon—it seemed to snake all around and around and around. Seriously…?
Braves Spring Training field:
18,19,20…The Mile 20 Spectacular was quite less then spectacular and I kept moving. I believe it was around this point that I texted NaCler the following: ‘This is incredibly unpleasant.’ Indeed. But NaCler like the true friend he is, asked me where I was and when I said 19 (I think) he replied that I was almost there, etc, etc…I wanted to trade places with him—wherever he was!
The less than spectacular Mile 20 Spectacular:
I was getting three cups at every water stop—one water, one Gatorade and one water to dump on me. It was hot---have I mentioned that yet?
And it was around here that I texted my brother: “Pace gone to (heck) just need to finish.” (Cleaned up for the PG-13 SSR boards
) His reply: “That’s a good plan.” Haha!!
Texting really helped me get through—I was able to keep up with my wife as well. She was about 2 miles behind me most of the day and I knew she was doing as well as me (read as: not so good.) She had the same concerns—the heat and just finishing. When I was walking I told her not to pass me! She laughed and said that I was too far ahead…
At mile 21 I saw something scary: an older lady was woozy and head to be helped just to stand up. Some other runner was helping her lean against a light pole. She wasn’t doing too well. I hope she’s OK now. Just past her was the onramp to World Dr. and on toward DHS. They had the Army men from Toy Story there yelling at people and getting them to do pushups (of all things!!!). He said the record for the day was 61---CRAZY! I was barely able to keep moving in the right direction let alone do something like that.
I will say this---I never felt like I wasn’t going to make it, ya know? I just kept moving and I knew I would finish—I definitely doubted my pace and questioned myself for getting into this mess! But I never really thought—‘I’m not going to finish’ or, ‘I am going to get swept up.’
Mile 22—into DHS. There was actually a little shade here and I felt a little better. I even took a few pics:
Lots of people cheering here---it was pretty awesome. There was even a guy holding an entire cooler full of ice—I grabbed a handful and thanked him. It went in my shirt and on my head.
Out of DHS and onto the walkway between DHS and the Boardwalk area. It was right around here that I started to be convinced that this was all over soon—I was going to do it. I got a little emotional at one point right before you can see the yacht club. You start to think of all the Saturday mornings you gave up running and training. And all of the people that are proud of you and say, “I could never do that!” And how hard it really is to run (jog? Walk?) a full marathon. It overwhelmed me for a second or two, but then I was back running.
Mile 24…the snake line of people was incredible. You would think that with only 2.2 miles left it would seem like the end---but it didn’t. Just keep moving!!!!
On the boardwalk between Yacht and Beach Club (that path that’s all wooden planks) I saw something that made me laugh. There was a gal standing on the left cheering people on wearing a Mickey medal! She looked refreshed---had a shower, wet hair and clean clothes. She had enough time to finish the race get back to the Beach Club, shower change and come out to cheer me on! Wow!!!
My brother had texted me that he and his wife were right inside Epcot by the fountain in England (across from the phone booths) and he was going to run alongside me for a little bit. Cool! It put a little zip in my step. As I came around and through that gate, I saw my sis-in-law, well I should say I heard her yelling my name…then I saw her. My nephew was playing in that fountain—LOL. I asked her where my bro was and she pointed to the bridge between England and France. I finally saw him and he ran with me on that part where park visitors could walk. (He never came onto the actual course.) I jogged until the slight hill in front of America—I needed to walk it…I looked left and saw SSE and I knew I was almost done.
He stayed with me until the “bottom” of WS (I guess it’s really the top, but you know what I mean) and went straight to cheer on my wife—I took the right and headed for the finish. I texted NaCler that I was by SSE and he told me where he was so I could look for him.
Mile 26! Wow only .2 to go.
We exited the park and took a right toward the finish. I thought that’s where NaCler was going to be and I kept scanning the crowd for him—nothing nothing nothing… Hmmmm As I was looking for him, I thought I heard someone (a crowd) yelling my name. Then I thought: They can’t be yelling for me—I don’t know anyone here and I kept moving and looking for NaCler. I never did see him.
(Afterwards we met up and he said he was with that crowd and he got all those strangers to chant my name! LOL—he’s crazy!! He said he could have practically grabbed me I was so close. Bummer. But he did get these action shots:
Straight ahead was the finish—it looked glorious!!! I impulsively pumped my fists to the sky as I crossed and then I high fived Goofy. It was over. I completed it in 5:53…slightly off my unofficial goal of 5 hours. BUT…I did it and I am never doing it again---lol. (We’ll see everyone says…)
The volunteer put that medal on my head and I thought I would cry. It’s so much to take in…but I didn’t. Then all of a sudden I got about 15 texts. People must have been following me on the internet (like I was doing to my wife) and the FINISH Text went out:
WDW Marathon: HENRY S. – Finish in 5:53:21. Pace 13:29. Presented by RunDisney.
I was happy…I was tired…I didn’t know what to do! I had been running/jogging/walking for the last 6 hours! I grabbed my box of food and a banana, some water and plopped down next to a tent in the shade. I took this picture to send to all my ‘fans’ :
It was at that point I realized I had a problem---I didn’t know how I was going to get up…lol.
I went around, met NaCler, and we walked over to wait for my wife to finish. She was half an hour behind me, but she finished also! I was very proud of her—she had the same attitude I did: we did it, it’s done. No mas.
NaCler snapped a few of the two of us:
We parted ways with NaCler and hobbled back to the bus. We were quietly reflected on what we had accomplished. We were salty and sweaty and tired but we shared a nice hug. We decided to go right to the quiet pool and just jump in. So that’s what we did. Everyone told us that an ice bath would really help with recovery and as cold as that water was (see my earlier post) it sure felt like ice!
It was heaven…we stayed in there a few minutes before hobbling back to the room. The stairs were evil and seemed to have a personal vendetta against us! Wow I never thought stairs would be so hard to walk up.
Our plan for the rest of the day was to shower (obviously) then head to the Contemporary (The Wave) for a 5:30 ADR, then hit MK and watch Wishes. All of our training said to keep moving afterwards—the more you stay active, the better you will feel the next day.
Since this was such a long post already I will finish the day in another post.
Might make finding the bus back to the resort easier, too.
